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Jill Piebiak says social media was a key factor to her campaign's success, which offers those who menstruate small savings and ‘a symbolic change.’

Jill Piebiak,left, an Alberta native who lives in Toronto, spearheaded a campaign that took down Canada's tax on tampons, putting an estimated $33 million to $36 million annually back into the hands of those who menstruate each month. Piebiak is pictured with co-campaigner Kathleen Fraser. (Jill Piebiak)

On July 1, getting your period won’t be such a burden anymore — on the pocketbook.

And it’s all thanks to Jill Piebiak.

The 29-year-old Alberta native, who calls herself the “leader of the Canadian menstruators,” spearheaded the campaign that swiftly — in little more than four months — took down our nation’s tax on tampons and other feminine hygiene products, putting an estimated $33 million to $36 million annually back into the hands of those who menstruate each month.

Piebiak, who lives in Toronto and recently graduated with a master’s degree in media studies and communications from Concordia University, has been thinking about this issue since she first got her period around age 13.

How do you feel about all of this?

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Ecstatic. It wasn’t expected, but we’re glad the government recognized this was a discriminatory tax and decided to take action.

To what do you owe such quick success?

Social media. Our campaign went from zero to 74,000 supporters in just a few months. It was hard for government to ignore.

How much money does this save on each box?

About 5 per cent of sales tax (the federal portion of the GST) on an $8 box. It’s a small but symbolic change. It might not seem like much, but when you’re living in poverty and counting each penny at the till, you’re making decisions between menstruation products and food.

Why this issue? Why now?

Many women in this country have been talking about it. It’s something my family has talked about. So, me and a group of friends — a small group of women in Montreal and Toronto — got together and we jumped in head first, in our spare time. We began to research and look into it. In Canada, there had been private members bills brought forward in the House of Commons and in other countries there had been two campaigns that got thousands and thousands of supporters and had the media talking. We realized this isn’t a conversation in Canada — and we could make it one.

Did you expect the campaign to be successful?

We had a goal of 50,000 signatures and didn’t know where it would go from there. But yes, I did think it would be successful.I have seen other groups do this. I’ve seen online groups change conversations in the political sphere. It’s a new way of organizing.

What’s next?

Our goal was to remove this tax and we’ve succeeded in that. Right now, we’re wrapping it up and organizing celebrations for July 1. To celebrate, we want to raise donations — actual tampons and pads, not money. We’re hoping to encourage folks to buy menstruation products and donate them to local women’s shelters and food banks.

Beyond that . . . I’m not sure. But onto the next challenge.

Is there any other issue that’s pressing to you?

I feel a real move to get women’s and trans’ voices heard — for them to be part of the federal debate on any issue.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

This campaign is not about me. It’s about talking about menstruation openly and what this broader conversation can do for women in politics. It’s about us telling the government that it’s not OK to make wedding cakes and chocolates chips and maraschino cherries tax exempt when no one has ever taken the time to think about women’s daily lives. And there’s so much work to be done.

What are you going to do with the extra money you save on tampons?

Well, I’m a young Canadian in a precarious work situation, so I’m probably going to use it to pay off debt.

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